Keyword search across all of the laws in the states. Subject-area tabs above allow you to narrow results. Click the advanced search for further refinement.
Every law can be saved to the Reform Builder
See all ability to pay policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
Below are the ability to pay laws that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.
19 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Level of offense | Definition of ability to pay | Timeline | Burden of proof | Method of determination | Mandatory | Remedies if unable to pay | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.051(c) | Enforcement of Fines and Restitution |
A defendant who has been sentenced to pay a fine or restitution may request a hearing regarding the defendant's ability to pay the fine or restitution at any time that the defendant is required to pay all or a portion of the fine or restitution. The court may deny the request if it has previously considered the defendant's ability to pay and the defendant's request does not allege changed circumstances. If, at a hearing under this subsection, the defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution, the court shall modify the order so that the defendant can pay the fine or restitution through good faith efforts. The court may reduce the fine ordered, change the payment schedule, or otherwise modify the order. The court may not reduce an order of restitution but may change the payment schedule.
|
All |
"Defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution." |
At defendant's request at enforcement | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
Reduction of fine; modification of fee schedule; or any other modification the Court thinks appropriate. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 18.85.120 | Determination of Indigency; Repayment |
(a) The determination of a person's indigency shall be made by the court in which an action against the person is pending. The determination shall be made by the court and shall set out the basis for the finding that the person is indigent. (b) In determining whether a person is indigent and in determining the extent of the person's inability to pay, the court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents. Release on bail does not preclude a finding that a person is indigent. In each case, the person, subject to the penalties for perjury, shall certify under oath, and in writing or by other record, material factors relative to the person's financial resources and ability to pay that the court prescribes.
|
All |
"The court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents." |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No | Not provided for |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.039(b) | Surcharge |
A court may not fail to impose the surcharge required under this section. The surcharge may not be waived, deferred, or suspended. A court may allow a defendant who is unable to pay the surcharge required to be imposed under this section to perform community work under AS 12.55.055(c) in lieu of the surcharge.
|
All |
"Unable to pay the surcharge." |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Community Service |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.045(g),(j),(k) | Restitution and Compensation |
(g) The court may not, in ordering the amount of restitution, consider the defendant’s ability to pay restitution; (j) A defendant who is convicted of an offense for which restitution may be ordered shall submit financial information as ordered by the court. The Alaska Court System shall prepare a form, in consultation with the Department of Law, for the submission of the information; the form must include a warning that submission of incomplete or inaccurate information is punishable as unsworn falsification in the second degree under AS 11.56.210. A defendant who is convicted of (1) a felony shall submit the form to the probation office within 30 days after conviction, and the probation officer shall attach the form to the presentence report, or (2) a misdemeanor shall file the form with the defendant’s response or opposition to the restitution amount. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority; (k) The court, on its own motion or at the request of the prosecuting authority or probation officer, may order a defendant on probation who has been ordered to pay restitution to submit financial information to the court using the form specified in (j) of this section. The defendant shall file the completed form with the court within five days after the court’s order. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority and the person’s probation officer, if any.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 18.85.155(a) | Payment by Municipality |
When a municipality prosecutes a person who has been determined by the court to be indigent under AS 18.85.120 for a violation of a municipal ordinance that is a serious crime, the municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person.
|
All |
"Indigent under AS 18.85.120" |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
The municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 33.30.028(b) | Responsibility for Costs of Medical Care |
The commissioner shall require prisoners who are without resources under (a) of this section to pay the costs of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care provided to them by the department. At a minimum, the prisoner shall be required to pay a portion of the costs based upon the prisoner’s ability to pay.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Administrative decision | No |
Required to pay a portion of the costs. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.100(f) | Conditions of Probation |
While on probation and as a special condition of probation for an offense where the aggravating factor provided in AS 12.55.155(c)(29) has been proven or admitted, the court shall require that the defendant submit to electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring under this subsection must provide for monitoring of the defendant’s location and movements by Global Positioning System technology. The court shall require a defendant serving a period of probation with electronic monitoring as provided under this subsection to pay all or a portion of the costs of the electronic monitoring, but only if the defendant has sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs. A defendant subject to electronic monitoring under this subsection is not entitled to a credit for time served in a correctional facility while the defendant is on probation. In this subsection, “correctional facility” has the meaning given in AS 33.30.901.
|
All |
"Sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs." |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No | Not provided for |
Add to Dashboard
|
Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 09.19.010 | Limitation on Exemption From Filing Fees |
(c) Based on the submission under (b) of this section, the court may grant an exemption from part of the applicable filing fees if the court finds that exceptional circumstances prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees. Imprisonment and indigency do not constitute exceptional circumstances if the prisoner has available income or resources that can be applied to the filing fee; (d) If the court orders an exemption under (c) of this section, the court shall determine the amount of the exemption and set a filing fee to be paid by the prisoner. In setting the fee, the court, at a minimum, shall require the prisoner to pay filing fees equal to 20 percent of the larger of the average monthly deposits made to the prisoner’s account described in (b)(2) of this section, or the average balance in that account, not to exceed the amount of the full filing fee required under applicable court rules.
|
All |
"Exceptional circumstances prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees" |
At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Administrative decision | No |
Fee is recalculated based on prisoner's resources. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Delaware | 10 Del. C. §8603(a) | Nonpayment of Costs |
When a defendant who is required to pay the costs of defense defaults in the payment thereof or of any installment, the court on motion of the Attorney General or upon its own motion may require the defendant to show cause why the default should not be treated as contempt of court, and may issue a rule or order to show cause why such default should not be treated as contempt of court, and may take such further actions as the court determines to produce the defendant before the court.
|
All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Additional Time for Payment; Reducing Payment or Installment Amount; Revoking Payment in Whole or Unpaid Part. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Delaware | 10 Del. C. §8603(d) | Nonpayment of Costs |
If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the default in the payment of defense costs is not contempt, the court may enter an order allowing the defendant additional time for payment, reducing the amount thereof or of each installment, or revoking such payment or the unpaid portion thereof in whole or in part.
|
All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Additional Time for Payment; Reducing Payment or Installment Amount; Revoking Payment in Whole or Unpaid Part. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Delaware | 10 Del. C. §8601(d) | Recoupment of Costs |
A defendant who has been required to pay the costs of defense and who is not in contumacious default in the payment thereof may at any time petition the court for remission of the payment of such costs, or of any unpaid portion thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or immediate family, the court may remit all or part of the amount due in costs, or modify the method of payment.
|
All |
"Will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or immediate family." |
At defendant's request at enforcement | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
Remission of All or Part of Fee. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Delaware | 10 Del. C. § 8601(c) | Recoupment of Costs |
The court shall not require a defendant to pay the costs of defense unless the defendant is, or will be, able to pay them. In determining the amount and method of payment of such costs, the court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose.
|
All |
"The court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose." |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Defendant Not Required to Pay. |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.085 | Reduction of excessive fine or administrative assessment; payment in installments. |
Whenever, after a fine and administrative assessment have been imposed but before they have been discharged by payment or confinement, it is made to appear to the judge or justice + See moreimposing the fine or administrative assessment or his or her successor: 1. That the fine or administrative assessment is excessive in relation to the financial resources of the defendant, the judge or justice or his or her successor may reduce the fine accordingly.
2. That the discharge of the fine or administrative assessment is not within the defendant’s present financial ability to pay, the judge or justice or his or her successor may direct that the fine be paid in installments.
|
All |
excessive in relation to the financial resources of the defendant; not withiin the defendant's present financial ability to pay |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
Installment plan |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 484C.515 (2) | Fee for specialty court programs |
If the fee pursuant to subsection 1: (a) Is not within the defendant’s present ability to pay, the justice or judge may include in the sentence, + See morein addition to any other penalty or administrative assessment provided by law, community service for a reasonable number of hours, the value of which would be commensurate with the fee.
(b) Is not entirely within the defendant’s present ability to pay, the justice or judge may include in the sentence, in addition to any other penalty or administrative assessment provided by law, a reduced fee and community service for a reasonable number of hours, the value of which would be commensurate with the amount of the reduction of the fee.
|
Misdemeanor |
not within the defendant’s present ability to pay; not entirely within the defendant's present ability to pay |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
community service; reduced fee |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 209.4295 (2)-(3) | Payment of cost of supervision and treatment; performance of community service as contribution toward cost; issuance of judgment for unpaid costs |
2. A court shall not refuse to place a probation violator in the diversion program if the probation violator does not have the financial resources to pay any or all of + See morethe related costs. 3. The court may order a probation violator who is placed in the diversion program to perform a specified amount of community service upon release from the program to contribute toward the cost of his or her treatment and supervision. Any such community service must be performed for and under the supervising authority of a county, city, town or other political subdivision or agency of the State of Nevada or a charitable organization that renders service to the community or its residents.
|
All |
violator does not have the financial resources to pay any or all of the related costs |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
community service |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 211A.130 (3) | Fees for cost of supervision: Imposition; waiver or reduction |
3. If the chief determines that payment of the fee would result in economic hardship to a probationer or a supervised releasee, the chief may waive the imposition of, or reduce + See morethe amount of, the fee. If the chief waives the imposition of the fee, payment of the fee by the probationer or the supervised releasee does not constitute a condition of his or her suspended sentence, residential confinement or pretrial or presentence release.
|
All |
economic hardship |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
reduction or waiver of fee |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 213.1076 (2) | Fee to defray costs of supervision; regulations; waiver |
2. The Chief may waive the fee to defray the cost of supervision, in whole or in part, if the Chief determines that payment of the fee would create an economic + See morehardship on the parolee, probationer or person supervised by the Division through residential confinement.
|
All |
economic hardship |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
reduction or waiver of fee |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 209.4886 (4) | Participation in judicial program: Referral of offender to reentry court; powers and duties of Director; regulations; reimbursement of costs; effect of violation of terms and conditions; status of offender |
The Director shall adopt regulations requiring offenders who are assigned to the custody of the Division pursuant to this section to reimburse the reentry court, the Division and the Department + See morefor the cost of their participation in a judicial program, to the extent of their ability to pay.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes | Not provided for |
Add to Dashboard
|
Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.139 (7) | Presentence investigation and report: Psychosexual evaluation of certain sex offenders required; standards and methods for conducting evaluation; access to records; rights of confidentiality and privileges deemed waived; costs |
If a psychosexual evaluation is conducted pursuant to this section, the court shall: (a) Order the defendant, to the extent of the defendant’s financial ability, to + See morepay for the cost of the psychosexual evaluation; or
(b) If the defendant was less than 18 years of age when the sexual offense was committed and the defendant was certified and convicted as an adult, order the parents or guardians of the defendant, to the extent of their financial ability, to pay for the cost of the psychosexual evaluation. For the purposes of this paragraph, the court has jurisdiction over the parents or guardians of the defendant to the extent that is necessary to carry out the provisions of this paragraph.
|
All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes | Not provided for |
The Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder is a project of the National Criminal Justice Debt Initiative of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and with user experience design by metaLAB (at) Harvard.
For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.